A strapdown missile guidance system involves a target-sensing device that is physically attached to the missile so that it is stabilized with respect to missile body motion rather than with respect to an inertial reference. A fundamental drawback of the current strapdown missile guidance system, however, is the requirement that the field of view of the sensor be large enough to accommodate various missile maneuvers during flight without losing the target from the field of view. The large field of view requirement, in turn, limits the sensor resolution such that target can be recognized only at very close ranges.